I photograph and produce stories that inspire change. The motivation for doing so is developed through my academic background in environmental science and international development coupled with a desire to document history.

I was completing my masters degree in Environmental Analysis and International Development when I was introduced to photography, this resulted in two passions being drawn together, art and the environment. I choose to focus on subjects that mattered to me and be dedicated to this end. Since 2006 I have managed to build a strong collection of images about Climate Change in Australia, Bangladesh and the south pacific. I’ve also begun a project that documents the impacts of marine debris on wildlife.

As a visual storyteller I provide a means of extending the anecdote or the issue to a wider audience. I’m interested in telling complete stories through long-term projects in the same way that Sebastiao Salgado does. I feel this provides a more interconnected picture of reality.

My passion for documenting Climate Change is about saving cultures and natural environments that are under threat. My work hopes to illuminate these threats and to influence a collective consciousness, to act on Climate Change and marine debris.
I often use video and audio within my storytelling as well as stills. I believe that these elements combined communicate the story to a greater extent and provided more effective change.
My work has appeared in major newspaper and book publications worldwide and numerous prints are held in the National and State Libraries of Australia.

I hold a degree in Resource and Environmental Science and a Masters degree in Environmental Analysis and International Development. I’m a member of the Australian documentary photography group called MAP Group and a founding member of The Story Collective.

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The capital Island of Kiribati, Tarawa from above. Both Kiribati and Tuvalu in the South Pacific consists of coral atolls only a few meters above sea level at their highest point and hence they are vulnerable to sea level rise.

The signal of the sea portrays a way of life undergoing the impacts of climate change on two South Pacific island communities, Tuvalu and Kiribati. These fragile coral atolls are only a few meters above sea level at their highest points and hence they are vulnerable to sea level rise and associated climate change impacts such as food insecurity and regular flooding. The Director of Tuvalu Meteorological Service, Hilia Vavae, says residents see the impacts of sea level rise with “our own eyes, our own observations, we have never had this flooding as intense as this”. She says, “The signal of the sea level is actually rising”.

The signal of the sea portrays a way of life undergoing the impacts of climate change on two South Pacific island communities, Tuvalu and Kiribati. These fragile coral atolls are only a few meters above sea level at their highest points and hence they are vulnerable to sea level rise and associated climate change impacts such as food insecurity and regular flooding. The Director of Tuvalu Meteorological Service, Hilia Vavae, says residents see the impacts of sea level rise with “our own eyes, our own observations, we have never had this flooding as intense as this”. She says, “The signal of the sea level is actually rising”.

I photograph and produce stories that inspire change. The motivation for doing so is developed through my academic background in environmental science and international development coupled with a desire to document history.

I was completing my masters degree in Environmental Analysis and International Development when I was introduced to photography, this resulted in two passions being drawn together, art and the environment. I choose to focus on subjects that mattered to me and be dedicated to this end. Since 2006 I have managed to build a strong collection of images about Climate Change in Australia, Bangladesh and the south pacific. I’ve also begun a project that documents the impacts of marine debris on wildlife.

As a visual storyteller I provide a means of extending the anecdote or the issue to a wider audience. I’m interested in telling complete stories through long-term projects in the same way that Sebastiao Salgado does. I feel this provides a more interconnected picture of reality.

My passion for documenting Climate Change is about saving cultures and natural environments that are under threat. My work hopes to illuminate these threats and to influence a collective consciousness, to act on Climate Change and marine debris.
I often use video and audio within my storytelling as well as stills. I believe that these elements combined communicate the story to a greater extent and provided more effective change.
My work has appeared in major newspaper and book publications worldwide and numerous prints are held in the National and State Libraries of Australia.

I hold a degree in Resource and Environmental Science and a Masters degree in Environmental Analysis and International Development. I’m a member of the Australian documentary photography group called MAP Group and a founding member of The Story Collective.

The capital Island of Kiribati, Tarawa from above. Both Kiribati and Tuvalu in the South Pacific consists of coral atolls only a few meters above sea level at their highest point and hence they are vulnerable to sea level rise.

Tawaa Tebunang stands underneath dead coconut trees. Water inundated this land during recent king tides and rising sea levels. They have lost many crops including coconuts, pawpaw, pandanus, banana, tarto, fig, and others. The ground is now too saline to grow food. Tanikabaai Village, Kribati.

Kids playing in king tide waters of 2011. Both Kiribati and Tuvalu consists of coral atolls only a few meters above sea level at their highest point and hence they are vulnerable to high tides and sea level rise. Funafuti, Tuvalu. 2011.

Raita Kabiriera stands on the site of her family’s old kitchen. She was forced to leave here in 2009 as the king tides flooded her property. “We had lots of food growing on this land; this was my mother’s land. We lost it all because of the sea water so we moved,” says Raita. “There is no place to plant our food [now]. Abaiang Island, Kiribati. 2010.

Eria Maerere and his granddaughter, Dian, walk next to a sea wall that used to protect their community before it was damaged in 2004.“That was a drastic night,” recalls Eria, “just terrible. “Everyone thought it was the end of the world … the whole place was under water. Everyone ran for their lives … We lost our wells, some of our houses … our crops … they were all lost. We know that the rise of thesea is a true thing. It comes in. [It] comes to the dry places, it reaches the unreached spots. Who causes it? Our brothers and sisters in the big countries. I’m asking God to work with the big countries to show mercy to us, to consider our situation.” Bikenikora Village, Kiribati

Growing crops on Tuvalu is increasingly difficult. Salt water intrusion is contaminating ground water and soils, killing many plants. Hetagi Lotomahana stands in her pawpaw plantation. Just after the king tide the plantation turned yellow as salt penetrated the roots. She waters the plants as much as possiable hoping to flush out the salt and revive them. Funafui, Tuvalu

The community of Bikenikora Village, Tarawa, Kiribati at church Sunday. “It is a true thing. The sea level is going up,” says Eria Maerere, a local community leader. “People are starting to think about migrating to other countries. A lot of our people have migrated to Fiji, to New Zealand, because of what they think is going to happen. Some people panic and don’t know what to do. They talk about it every day. Our hope is that God will have mercy on us on the low coral islands. I’m asking God to work with the big countries to show more mercy to us, to consider our situation … I ask … if they could put us somewhere in their minds.”

“Our culture and our traditions are so valuable. They are part of our identity. We cannot leave that behind,” says Niu Ioane (not pictured). “Our country, though small, is peaceful and it is beautiful to us. We cannot just get up and leave.” Funafui, Tuvalu.

Sylvia Vaclei sits in her simple dwelling. She lives with her brother and sister and they rely on tank water during dry periods. During droughts, the Integrated Water Resources Management, part of the Tuvalu government, educates the community about water conservation methods via radio announcements, including recycling of water for flushing toilets. There is a water rationing system according to the projected drought conditions where people can access government water. Funafuti, Tuvalu. 2011.

Polapola Feli launches the weather balloon that measures temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and wind velocity at the Tuvalu Meteorological Service. In recently years Tuvalu has experienced water shortages and unseasonal droughts. The Director, Hilia Vavae says “There is actually an expectation of less rain in the future”. She explains that although the increase in temperature is small, “the impact is not small, the impact is big. It’s just too hot”. Funafuti, Tuvalu. 2011.

During World War II American soldiers dug out pulaka plantions (once a staple food ) to build the airfield on the capital island of Tuvlau, Funafuti. These created “borrow pits” that are now full of rubbish, they are flooded at high tide.

Despite more extensive flooding in Tuvalu many people are in denial about the impacts of sea level rise. Faaui Siale, 60, (not pictured) says “I believe there won’t be any more floods, because of the covenant between Noah and the Lord God,” “They made a promise during those days that there won’t be another flood in the world.” It’s a belief shared by many of her compatriots. Recently, a survey conducted by the Tuvalu Christian Church found that nearly one-third of the population does not believe in climate change based on their interpretation of the Old Testament. In Genesis, Chapter 9, after the great flood subsides, God tells Noah there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth, and chooses the rainbow as the symbol of that promise.

Sakalia Teasi fishing. Fishermen on the island of Funafui say that increased temperature, storms, coral bleaching and over fishing is casing a reduction in fish stocks. “It is getting very difficult to catch fish now,” says Chairman of the Tuvalu Climate Action Network, Tafue Lusama (not pictured). “When I grew up, my grandfather and father used to teach me the shift from one season to the other and how it affects the movement of the fish in the sea from place to place. Those have been upset because of the changing weather patterns. The cost of fish caught around our islands has become very expensive.
It is cheaper for a person to walk into a shop and buy a tin of fish … which is processed thousands of miles away … than buying fish from a local fisherman.” The cultural and health implications of this is enormous.

The airstrip was built in World War II on ground previously used to grow the staple root crop, pulaka. It caters for a twice weekly air service to Fiji. During other times the runway is used as a recreational hub. In the late afternoon people play volleyball and train for soccer and rugby. “We use it as a place to relax" says Niu Ioane. When the king tides occur sections of the runway are flooded. Funafui, Tuvalu